G.R. No. 195003. June 7, 2017.*

 
CITY OF BATANGAS, represented by Hon. Severina
Vilma Abaya,1 in her capacity as City Mayor of Batangas,
petitioner, vs. PHILIPPINE SHELL PETROLEUM
CORPORATION and SHELL PHILIPPINES
EXPLORATION B.V., respondents.

Local Government Units; Ordinances; Time and again, the

Supreme Court (SC) has ruled that in order for an ordinance to be
valid,

_______________

** Designated additional member per Raffle dated March 27, 2017 vice
Associate Justice Francis H. Jardeleza.
*  FIRST DIVISION.
1   Referred to as Vilma Severina A. Dimacuha elsewhere in the
Records.

 
 

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 it must not only be within the corporate powers of the
concerned Local Government Unit (LGU) to enact, but must also
be passed in accordance with the procedure prescribed by law.—
The requisites for a valid ordinance are well-established. Time
and again, the Court has ruled that in order for an ordinance to
be valid, it must not only be within the corporate powers of the
concerned LGU to enact, but must also be passed in accordance
with the procedure prescribed by law. Moreover, substantively,
the ordinance (i) must not contravene the Constitution or any
statute; (ii) must not be unfair or oppressive; (iii) must not be
partial or discriminatory; (iv) must not prohibit, but may regulate
trade; (v) must be general and consistent with public policy; and
(vi) must not be unreasonable.
Same; Local Autonomy; Police Power; Delegation of Powers; In
furtherance of the State’s policy to foster genuine and meaningful
local autonomy, the national legislature delegated the exercise of
police power to local government units (LGUs) as agents of the
State. Such delegation can be found in Section 16 of the Local
Government Code (LGC), which embodies the general welfare
clause.—Police power is the power to prescribe regulations to
promote the health, morals, peace, education, good order, safety,
and general welfare of the people. As an inherent attribute of
sovereignty, police power primarily rests with the State. In
furtherance of the State’s policy to foster genuine and meaningful
local autonomy, the national legislature delegated the exercise of
police power to local government units (LGUs) as agents of the
State. Such delegation can be found in Section 16 of the LGC,
which embodies the general welfare clause.
Same; Same; Same; Same; Since Local Government Units
(LGUs) exercise delegated police power as agents of the State, it is
incumbent upon them to act in conformity to the will of their
principal, the State. Necessarily, therefore, ordinances enacted
pursuant to the general welfare clause may not subvert the State’s
will by contradicting national statutes.—Since LGUs exercise
delegated police power as agents of the State, it is incumbent
upon them to act in conformity to the will of their principal, the
State. Necessarily, therefore, ordinances enacted pursuant to the
general welfare clause may not subvert the State’s will by
contradicting national statutes. Thus, in Batangas CATV, Inc. v.
Court of Appeals, 439 SCRA 326 (2004), the Court struck down an
ordinance enacted by Batangas City which granted the
Sangguniang Panlungsod the power to fix

 
 
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 subscriber rates charged by CATV providers operating within
the former’s territory, as this directly violated a general law
which grants such power exclusively to the National
Telecommunications Commission. In so ruling, the Court stressed
that municipalities are precluded from regulating conduct already
covered by a statute involving the same subject matter.
Civil Law; Water Code; Water Permits; The privilege to
appropriate and use water is one which is exclusively granted and
regulated by the State through water permits issued by the
National Water Resources Board (NWRB).—The Water Code
governs the ownership, appropriation, utilization, exploitation,
development, conservation and protection of water resources.
Under Article 3 thereof, water resources are placed under the
control and regulation of the government through the National
Water Resources Council, now the NWRB. In turn, the privilege
to appropriate and use water is one which is exclusively granted
and regulated by the State through water permits issued by the
NWRB. Once granted, these water permits continue to be valid
save only for reasons spelled out under the Water Code itself.
Same; Same; Same; The Assailed Ordinance effectively
contravenes the provisions of the Water Code as it arrogates unto
Batangas City the power to control and regulate the use of ground
water which, by virtue of the provisions of the Water Code,
pertains solely to the National Water Resources Board (NWRB).—
The avowed purpose of the Assailed Ordinance, as stated in its
whereas clauses, is the protection of local aquifers for the benefit
of the inhabitants of Batangas City. Accordingly, the Assailed
Ordinance mandates all heavy industries operating along
Batangas Bay to use seawater in the operation of their respective
facilities, and install desalination plants for this purpose. Failure
to comply with this mandatory requirement would have the effect
of precluding continuous operation, and exposing noncompliant
parties to penal and administrative sanctions. There is no doubt,
therefore, that the Assailed Ordinance effectively contravenes the
provisions of the Water Code as it arrogates unto Batangas City
the power to control and regulate the use of ground water which,
by virtue of the provisions of the Water Code, pertains solely to
the NWRB. By enacting the Assailed Ordinance, Batangas City
acted in excess of the powers granted to it as an LGU, rendering
the Assailed Ordinance ultra vires. Being ultra vires, the Assailed
Ordi-

 
 

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nance, in its entirety, is null and void. Thus, it becomes

unnecessary to still determine if it complies with the other
substantive requirements for a valid ordinance — i.e., that the
ordinance is fair and reasonable.
Remedial Law; Civil Procedure; Findings of Fact; The
Supreme Court (SC), not being a trier of facts, accords the highest
degree of respect to the findings of fact of the trial court, especially
where, as here, they have been affirmed by the Court of Appeals
(CA); accordingly, these findings will not be disturbed.—This
Court, not being a trier of facts, accords the highest degree of
respect to the findings of fact of the trial court, especially where,
as here, they have been affirmed by the CA; accordingly, these
findings will not be disturbed. To be sure, such findings are
binding and conclusive upon this Court, and it is not the Court’s
function in a petition for review on certiorari to examine, evaluate
or weigh anew the probative value of the evidence presented
before the trial court. While there are recognized exceptions to
this rule, the Court finds that none is present in this case.
Ordinances; Presumption of Validity; The presumption of
validity ascribed to an ordinance prevails only in the absence of
some factual foundation of record sufficient to overthrow the
assailed issuance.—Consequently, since it has been established
that Batangas City did not have factual basis to justify the
purpose of the Assailed Ordinance, Batangas City cannot invoke
the presumption of validity. As held in Ermita-Malate Hotel and
Motel Operators Association, Inc. v. City Mayor of Manila, 20
SCRA 849 (1967), which Batangas City itself cites in its Petition,
the presumption of validity ascribed to an ordinance
prevails only in the absence of some factual foundation of
record sufficient to overthrow the assailed issuance. In this
case, the presumption of validity ascribed to the Assailed
Ordinance had been overturned by documentary and testimonial
evidence showing that no substantial diminution in the supply of
ground water in the Tabangao-Malitam watershed had occurred
in the last three (3) decades, and that no threat of depletion of
ground water resources in said watershed existed.

PETITION for review on certiorari of the decision and

resolution of the Court of Appeals, Tenth Division.

 
 
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 The facts are stated in the opinion of the Court.
   Teodulfo A. Dequito for petitioner.
    Angara, Abello, Concepcion, Regala & Cruz for
respondents.

CAGUIOA, J.:
 
The policy of ensuring the autonomy of local
governments was not intended to create an imperium in
imperio and install intra-sovereign political subdivisions
independent of the sovereign state.2 As agents of the state,
local governments should bear in mind that the police
power devolved to them by law must be, at all times,
exercised in a manner consistent with the will of their
principal.
 
The Case
 
This is a petition for review on certiorari3 (Petition) filed
under Rule 45 of the Rules of Court against the Decision4
dated May 25, 2010 (Assailed Decision) and Resolution5
dated December 30, 2010 (Assailed Resolution) in C.A.-G.R.
CV No. 90373 rendered by the Tenth Division of the Court
of Appeals (CA). The Assailed Decision and Resolution
stem from an appeal from the Decision6 dated June 29,
2007 rendered by the Regional Trial Court of Batangas
City (RTC), Branch 84 in SP Civil Case Nos. 7924-7925,
declaring as invalid Ordi-

_______________

2   Batangas CATV, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, 482 Phil. 544, 571; 439
SCRA 326, 349 (2004).
3  Rollo, pp. 3-21.
4   Id., at pp. 315-333. Penned by Associate Justice Rosmari D.
Carandang, with Associate Justices Ramon R. Garcia and Manuel M.
Barrios, concurring.
5  Id., at pp. 335-336.
6  Id., at pp. 64-90. Penned by Presiding Judge Paterno V. Tac-an.

 
 

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nance No. 3, Series of 2001,7 (Assailed Ordinance), enacted

by the Sangguniang Panlungsod (Sangguniang
Panlungsod) of the City of Batangas (Batangas City).8
 
The Facts
 
Batangas City is a local government unit created by
virtue of its charter, Republic Act No. 5495 (RA 5495).
Under RA 5495, Batangas City constitutes a political body
corporate, and is endowed with powers which pertain to a
municipal corporation.9 The Sangguniang Panlungsod is
the legislative body of Batangas City.
Philippine Shell Petroleum Corporation (PSPC) is a duly
organized Philippine corporation engaged in the business of
manufacturing, refining and distribution of petroleum
products.10 PSPC owns and operates a refinery situated in
Tabangao, Batangas City (Tabangao Refinery).11
Shell Philippines Exploration, B.V. (SPEX) is a foreign
corporation licensed to do business in the Philippines.12 In
furtherance of the mandate of Presidential Decree No. 87
(PD 87) to promote the discovery and production of
indigenous petroleum, the Department of Energy (DOE)
executed Service Contract No. 38 (SC 38) with SPEX under
which SPEX was tasked to explore and develop possible
petroleum sources in

_______________

7   Entitled “An Act Requiring All Established Heavy Industries and

those to be Established Along the Batangas City Portion of the Batangas
Bay and other Areas Declared as Heavy Industrial Zone to Construct
Desalination Plant and Prohibiting the Use of Exploitation of
Underground Fresh Water for Cooling System and Industrial Purposes,”
Id., at pp. 24-26.
8   Id., at pp. 89-90.
9   RA No. 5495, Sec. 3.
10  Rollo, pp. 139-140.
11  Id., at p. 141.
12  Id., at p. 191.

 
 
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North Western Palawan.13 SPEX’s exploration led to the

discovery of an abundant source of natural gas in the
Malampaya field off the shores of Palawan, which
thereafter gave rise to the Malampaya Project. The
Malampaya Project required the construction of a 504-
kilometer offshore pipeline for the transport of natural gas
from Malampaya field to Batangas, for treatment in
PSPC’s Tabangao Refinery.14
On May 28, 2001, the Sangguniang Panlungsod enacted
the Assailed Ordinance which requires heavy industries
operating along the portions of Batangas Bay within the
territorial jurisdiction of Batangas City to construct
desalination plants to facilitate the use of seawater as
coolant for their industrial facilities.15 The pertinent
portions of the Assailed Ordinance state:

SECTION 3. MANDATORY REQUIREMENT FOR THE

APPROVAL OF HEAVY INDUSTRIES ALONG THE
BATANGAS CITY PORTION OF BATANGAS BAY AND OTHER
AREAS.—In addition to the requirements provided by laws and
ordinances, the City Government shall not grant permit or
clearance or its approval for any project or program involving the
construction or establishment of heavy industries along the
Batangas City portion of the Batangas Bay and other areas
delineated as Heavy Industrial Zone without the required
DESALINATION PLANT for use of sea water instead of
underground fresh water for cooling system and industrial
purposes.
SECTION 4. GRACE PERIOD PROVIDED FOR HEAVY
INDUSTRIES.—All heavy industries already established or
approved by the City Government prior to the enactment of this
Ordinance, including those to be established, are granted a period
of five (5) years,

_______________

13  Id., at p. 193.
14  Id., at pp. 194-196.
15  Batangas City Ordinance No. 3, S. 2001, Sec. 3; id., at p. 25.

 
 
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counted from the date of approval of this Ordinance, to install [a]

desalination plant.
SECTION 5. AUTHORITY TO GRANT EXEMPTION FROM
THE CONSTRUCTION OF DESALINATION PLANT.—The City
Mayor with the concurrence of the Sangguniang Panlungsod may
grant exemption for a given period to an industry from
installation or construction of DESALINATION PLANT on the
basis of the following conditions:
5.1. The exemption will not adversely affect the environment,
public health, public safety and the welfare of the people,
more particularly, the local aquifers, as shown by a
comprehensive ground water assessment or comprehensive
hydrological study conducted by the industry and presented
by the industry applying for exemption.
5.2. The industry or proposed project will support economic-
based activities and provide livelihood, employment, vital
community services and facilities while at the same time
posing no adverse effect on the community.
5.3. A public hearing is conducted.
5.4. Such other reasonable conditions which the City Mayor
may require with the concurrence of the Sangguniang
Panlungsod.
x x x x
SECTION 7. PENAL CLAUSE.—Any person who shall
authorize the start of the construction, development or operation
of any project considered as heavy industry without the approval
of the government authorities herein mentioned shall suffer an
imprisonment of not less than six (6) months nor more than one
(1) year and a fine of P5,000.00.
If the violator is a juridical person or association, the penalty
shall be imposed upon the owner, President, project manager
and/or persons directly in charge of the construction, development
and operation of the project.

 
 
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SECTION 8. POWER OF THE CITY MAYOR TO ISSUE A

CEASE AND DESIST ORDER.—The City Mayor, upon
knowledge of the violation of this ordinance shall issue a cease
and desist order for the stoppage of the construction, development
or operation of the project or industry and shall exercise all
powers necessary to give effect to the said order.
SECTION 9. ADMINISTRATIVE FINE.—An administrative
fine/penalty of P5,000.00 per day of violation of this ordinance
shall be imposed upon the owner, President, project manager,
and/or persons directly in charge of the construction, development
and operation of the project or industry.16

 
The Assailed Ordinance was approved by the city mayor
on June 7, 2001.
 Heavy industries subject of the Assailed Ordinance had
until May 28, 2006 to comply with its provisions.17 Among
the facilities affected by the Assailed Ordinance is PSPC’s
Tabangao Refinery.
 
Proceedings before the RTC
 
On May 23, 2006, PSPC filed against Batangas City and
the Sangguniang Panlungsod a Petition for Declaration of
Nullity (PSPC Petition) before the RTC praying that the
Assailed Ordinance be declared null and void. The PSPC
Petition was raffled to Branch 84, and docketed as SP Civil
Case No. 7924.18 Thereafter, SPEX filed a petition-in-
intervention (Intervention) praying for the same relief.19
JG Summit Petrochemical Corporation (JG Summit) and
First Gas Power Corporation (First Gas) filed similar peti-

_______________

16  Id., at pp. 25-26.

17  Id., at pp. 318-319.
18  Id., at pp. 136-183, 315, 319.
19  Id., at pp. 190-227.

 
 

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tions docketed as SP Civil Case Nos. 7925 (JG Summit

Petition) and 7926 (First Gas Petition), respectively.20
These petitions were likewise raffled to Branch 84, and
consolidated with the PSPC Petition for joint trial.21
For its part, PSPC averred that the Assailed Ordinance
constitutes an invalid exercise of police power as it failed to
meet the substantive requirements for validity.22
Particularly, PSPC argued that the Assailed Ordinance
contravenes the Water Code of the Philippines (Water
Code), and encroaches upon the power of the National
Water Resources Board (NWRB) to regulate and control
the Philippines’ water resources.23 In addition, Batangas
City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod failed to sufficiently
show the factual or technical basis for its enactment.24 In
this connection, PSPC alleged that the Assailed Ordinance
unduly singles out heavy industries, and holds them solely
accountable for the loss of water and destruction of aquifers
without basis, resulting in the deprivation of their property
rights without due process of law.25
On the procedural aspect, PSPC contended that the
Assailed Ordinance was not posted or published in a
newspaper of general circulation in the province, nor were
public hearings or consultations involving concerned
parties conducted thereon.26 Further, there are no records
showing that the Assailed Ordinance, as approved by the
Sangguniang Panlungsod, was forwarded to the
Sangguniang Panlalawigan of the Province of Batangas
after it was approved by the city

_______________

20  Id., at p. 93.
21  Id., at pp. 93, 96.
22  Id., at p. 138.
23  Id., at p. 149.
24  Id., at p. 138.
25  Id., at p. 149.
26  Id., at pp. 139, 150.

 
 
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mayor, as required by Section 56 of the Local Government

Code (LGC).27
SPEX essentially adopted the allegations of PSPC and
prayed for the same relief, asserting that it possesses
material and direct interest in the subject matter of the
PSPC Petition.28
In response, Batangas City and the Sangguniang
Panlungsod maintained that they have the power to enact
the Assailed Ordinance pursuant to the general welfare
clause under the LGC.29 According to them, the rationale of
the Assailed Ordinance is to stop PSPC and other
industries similarly situated from relying “too much” on
ground water as coolants for their machineries, and
alternatively promote the use of seawater for such purpose,
considering that fresh ground water is a “perishable
commodity.”30 Further, Batangas City and the
Sangguniang Panlungsod countered that the “regulation or
prohibition” on the use of ground water is merely incidental
to the main purpose of the Assailed Ordinance, which is to
compel heavy industries such as PSPC to construct
desalination plants. Hence, provisions having regulatory
and prohibitive effect may be taken out of the Assailed
Ordinance without entirely impairing its validity.31
Further, Batangas City and the Sangguniang
Panlungsod took exception to PSPC’s allegations and
asserted that the Assailed Ordinance had been published
in Dyaryo Veritas, a newspaper of general circulation in
the area. Moreover, Batangas City and the Sangguniang
Panlungsod claimed that a joint public hearing on the
Assailed Ordinance had in fact been conducted by the
Sangguniang Panlungsod and Sang-

_______________

27  Id., at pp. 150, 178.

28  Id., at pp. 190-191.
29  Id., at p. 229.
30  Id.
31  Id., at p. 230.

 
 
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guniang Panlalawigan, where PSPC was duly

32
represented. In addition, Batangas City and the
Sangguniang Panlungsod argued that the requirement of
referral of ordinances to the Sangguniang Panlalawigan
applies only to tax and other revenue measures.33
Finally, Batangas City and the Sangguniang
Panlungsod averred that since PSPC and SPEX, along with
other concerned heavy industries, essentially question the
former’s authority to regulate and prohibit the use of fresh
ground water, they should have first referred their
grievances to NWRB by filing a complaint for adjudication
on the threatened revocation of their existing water
permits.34
On June 21, 2007, the RTC resolved the First Gas
Petition by issuing a Decision declaring the Assailed
Ordinance null and void.35
Subsequently, on June 29, 2007 the RTC rendered a
Decision,36 this time resolving the PSPC and JG Summit
petitions. The dispositive portion of said Decision reads:

It is evident that from foregoing factual milieu and parameters,

the questioned ordinance is INVALID, as it is hereby declared
INVALID, in its entirety for want of necessity and for not
conducting prior public hearing, and for violating the due process
clause of the Constitution with respect to its (sic) Sec. 8, City
Ordinance No.3, [S]. 2001.
No pronouncement as to costs.
SO ORDERED.37

_______________

32  Id.
33  Id.
34  Id., at pp. 265-266.
35  Id., at pp. 30-31.
36  Id., at pp. 64-90.
37  Id., at pp. 89-90.

 
 

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The RTC gave credence to the testimony of PSPC’s

witness Engineer Joeffrey Caranto (Engineer Caranto) who
conducted a hydrogeology study on the Tabangao-Malitam
watershed from which PSPC sources fresh ground water.38
The RTC summarized the findings of said study in this
wise:

1. A water balance x  x  x calculation of the Tabangao-Malitam

groundwater system shows that the natural recharge
(replenishment) rate far exceeds the current demand for water
in the area. Hence, there is no threat of depletion of the
ground water resource[s] in the Tabangao-Malitam
[w]atershed that purportedly may result from PSPC’s
deep well pumping.
2. Water levels in the PSPC wells have not lowered
significantly over the last three (3) decades, indicating
that there is no substantial diminution of the supply of
ground water.
3. Among the four PSPC wells, only one [1] well shows very
slightly elevated levels of chloride at 300 milligrams per liter
which however is very low compared to seawater (which
measures 20,000 milligrams of chloride per liter). The chloride
levels in the other nearby PSPC wells are all within drinking
water standards and have not increased in the last four (4)
decades of usage. This indicates that salt water intrusion
is not occurring in the PSPC wells.39 (Emphasis supplied)

 
 The RTC also noted that the Sangguniang Panlungsod
failed to consult the NWRB before enacting the Assailed
Ordinance, thereby encroaching upon its authority.40

_______________

38  Id., at pp. 72, 88.

39  Id., at p. 73.
40   Id., at p. 89; Presidential Decree No. 424, as amended by
Presidential Decree No. 1067 and Executive Order No. 124-A, Series of
1987.

 
 

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Anent Section 8, the RTC concluded that the power

granted to the city mayor to cause the issuance of cease
and desist orders against the use of ground water without
prior notice and hearing constitutes a violation of the due
process clause.41
 
Proceedings before the CA
 
Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod filed
separate notices of appeal from the decisions resolving the
PSPC, JG Summit and First Gas petitions.42
The appeals against JG Summit and First Gas were
raffled to the Fourth Division (CA Fourth Division) and
were docketed as C.A.-G.R. CV Nos. 90324 (JG Summit
Appeal) and 90365 (First Gas Appeal), respectively.
Meanwhile, the appeal filed against PSPC and SPEX was
raffled to the Tenth Division (CA Tenth Division), and
docketed as C.A.-G.R. CV No. 90373 (PSPC Appeal).
In the PSPC Appeal, Batangas City and the
Sangguniang Panlungsod, as appellants, averred that the
RTC failed to consider the testimonies of barangay captains
Joel Caaway and Calixto Villena of Barangays Tabangao
Aplaya and Pinamucan, respectively, who testified that
some wells in their areas had dried up, while others had
begun to produce salt water.43 These testimonies, according
to Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod, serve
as sufficient factual bases for the enactment of the Assailed
Ordinance, as “there could be no higher degree of evidence
than the actual experience of the inhabitants in the area.”44
_______________

41  Id.
43  Id., at pp. 84-85.
42  Id., at pp. 30-31, 92-93.
44  Id., at pp. 101-102.

 
 
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On May 28, 2009, the CA Fourth Division issued a Joint

Decision45 resolving the JG Summit and First Gas appeals.
The Joint Decision affirmed the RTC’s decisions in
SP Civil Case Nos. 7924-7925 (involving JG Summit
and PSPC) and 7926 (involving First Gas).46
On October 15, 2009, the CA Tenth Division directed
Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod on one
hand, and PSPC and SPEX on the other, to file their
respective memoranda on the filing of separate appeals,
and the implications of the Joint Decision of the CA Fourth
Division on the resolution of the PSPC Appeal.47
In their Joint Memorandum,48 PSPC and SPEX averred
that the Joint Decision in the JG Summit and First Gas
appeals bars a contrary decision in the PSPC Appeal,
pursuant to the principle of judicial stability.49 PSPC and
SPEX further contended that the filing of multiple appeals
involving the same issues and parties was tantamount to
forum shopping.50
In their defense, Batangas City and the Sangguniang
Panlungsod claimed that the filing of separate appeals was
made necessary by the fact that the separate decisions of
the RTC in SP Civil Case Nos. 7924-7925 and 7926 were
issued more than fifteen (15) days apart.51
On the basis of the submissions of the parties, the CA
Tenth Division issued the Assailed Decision dismissing the

_______________

45  Id., at pp. 30-59. Penned by Associate Justice Andres B. Reyes, Jr.,

with Associate Justices Fernanda Lampas-Peralta and Apolinario D.
Bruselas, Jr., concurring.
46  Id., at pp. 30-31, 58-59.
47  Id., at p. 325.
48   The Joint Memorandum does not form part of the Records of the
case.
49  Rollo, p. 325.
 50  Id., at pp. 325-326.
51  Id., at p. 326.

 
 

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appeal filed against PSPC and SPEX for lack of merit. The
relevant portions of the Assailed Decision read:

City Ordinance No. 3, S. 2001 contravenes Presidential

Decree No. 1067, better known as “The Water Code of the
Philippines” as it is an encroachment into the authority of
the [NWRB]. The use of water resources is under the
regulatory power of the national government. This is
explicit from the provisions of the Water Code which states
that —
“The utilization, explo[i]tation, development, conservation
and protection of water resources shall be subject to the
control and regulation of the government through the
[NWRB].”
Although respondent-appellants insist that the city ordinance
is not an absolute prohibition but merely a regulation on the use
of fresh ground water for cooling systems and industrial purposes
the argument cannot justify the attempt to usurp the NWRB’s
power to regulate and control water resources. Moreover, not only
does the city ordinance prohibit or regulate the use of fresh
ground water in disregard of previously granted water permits
from the NWRB but also directs the installation of desalination
plants for purposes of utilizing sea water, without the requisite
water permit from the NWRB.
x  x  x The police power of the Sangguniang Panlungsod is
subordinate to the constitutional limitations that its exercise
must be reasonable and for the public good. Without the
concurrence of these two requisites, the ordinance will not muster
the test of a valid police measure and should be struck down. The
trial court aptly examined the city ordinance against the
requirement of reasonable necessity and correctly concluded that
the subject ordinance failed to prove that it was reasonably
necessary to prohibit heavy industries from using ground water
and requiring them instead to construct desalination plants.
There must be a reasonable relation between

 
 
313
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the purposes of the police measure and the means employed for
its accomplishment. Arbitrary invasion of personal rights and
those pertaining to private property will not be allowed even
under the guise of protecting public interest. It has not been
sufficiently demonstrated that there exists no other means less
intrusive of private rights that would equally be effective for the
accomplishment of the same purpose.
With the foregoing premises considered, there is no more
necessity to address the other errors raised in the instant appeal.
WHEREFORE, the appeal is DISMISSED. The Decision
dated 29 June 2007 rendered by the Regional Trial Court of
Batangas City, Branch 84, in SP Civil Case No. 7924, declaring
invalid City Ordinance No. 3, S. 2001 is hereby AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.52 (Emphasis supplied)

 
Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod filed a
Motion for Reconsideration53 (MR) dated June 21, 2010,
which the CA Tenth Division subsequently denied through
the Assailed Resolution. The CA Tenth Division found that
the MR merely reiterated the arguments relied upon in the
appeal, which were already passed upon in the Assailed
Decision.54
Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod
received a copy of the Assailed Resolution on January 13,
2011.
On January 25, 2011, Batangas City filed the present
Petition.55 Notably, the Petition does not name the
Sangguniang Panlungsod as party,56 and only the
signature of then city

_______________

52  Id., at pp. 330-332.

53  Id., at pp. 111-132.
54  Id., at pp. 335-336.
55  Id., at p. 3.
56  Id.

 
 
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mayor Severina Vilma Abaya appears on the Verification
and Certification of Non-Forum Shopping attached
thereto.57
PSPC and SPEX filed a Motion for Additional Time58
dated April 1, 2011, praying for a period of ten (10) days
therefrom to file their comment. Thereafter, PSPC and
SPEX filed a Second Motion for Additional Time59 dated
April 11, 2011, praying for an additional period of seven (7)
days to file said comment. Finally, PSPC and SPEX filed
their Joint Comment on and/or Opposition to the Petition
for Review on Certiorari60 (Joint Comment/Opposition)
dated April 25, 2011 on even date.
Batangas City failed to timely file its reply to the Joint
Comment/Opposition, prompting them to file a
Manifestation and Motion for Extension of Time to File a
Reply (Manifestation and Motion) dated December 12,
2011.61 The Manifestation and Motion prayed that it be
granted twenty (20) days therefrom to file its reply.62
Accordingly, Batangas City filed its Reply dated December
21, 2011 on even date.63
 
The Issue
 
The sole issue for this Court’s determination is whether
the CA erred in affirming the RTC’s Decision which
declared the Assailed Ordinance invalid.

_______________

57   Id., at pp. 19-20. There being no indication that the Petition was
likewise filed on behalf of the Sangguniang Panlungsod, Batangas City
was deemed as sole petitioner hereunder.
58  Id., at pp. 304-307.
59  Id., at pp. 340-343.
60  Id., at pp. 353-391.
61  Id., at pp. 499-501.
62  Id., at p. 500.
63  Id., at pp. 505-513.

 
 

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The Court’s Ruling

 
 Batangas City contends that it has the legal authority to
enact ordinances in the exercise of its police power for the
purpose of promoting the general welfare of its
inhabitants.64 Thus, it asserts that it has the power to
regulate PSPC’s and SPEX’s right to use ground water, as
continued use would be injurious to public interest.65
Further, Batangas City insists that there is factual basis
to justify the enactment of the Assailed Ordinance.66 As
testified to by barangay captains Joel Caaway and Calixto
Villena, a gradual change in the quality and quantity of
ground water had taken place due to the increase in the
number of industrial plants along Batangas Bay.67
According to Batangas City, these testimonies should be
given more weight, since they are based on “actual facts
and experience.”68
These assertions lack merit.
 
The amendment of the Peti-
tion should be allowed in
the interest of justice.
 
At the outset, the Court notes that Batangas City
erroneously referred to the Joint Decision issued by the CA
Fourth Division in the JG Summit and First Gas appeals
as the subject of this Petition, instead of the Decision
issued by the CA Tenth Division resolving the PSPC
Appeal. Batangas City sought to correct this error in its
Reply, thus:

_______________

64  Id., at p. 13.
65  Id., at p. 14.
66  Id., at pp. 7-12.
67  Id., at p. 16.
68  Id.

 
 
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1. After diligent and careful review [of] the Petition for

Review submitted by the undersigned, it was found out that there
was an error which was inadvertently committed in the first
paragraph of the fifth (5th) page of the Petition;
 2. The first paragraph on page 5 of the Petition for Review on
Certiorari x x x.
x x x x
Should be amended to appear as:
“On June 13, 2007, herein Petitioner City Government of
Batangas received the decision of the Regional Trial Court
(RTC), Branch 84 of Batangas City ruling in favor of
Respondents, [PSPC] and Intervenor [SPEX] x  x  x.
Petitioner filed its Notice of Appeal x  x  x on 26 July 2007.
The case was elevated to the Court of Appeals and the
Tenth Division rendered the 25 May 2010 favoring [PSPC]
and SPEX x  x  x. The City Government of Batangas filed a
Motion for Reconsideration x x x. The motion was denied by
the Tenth Division of the Court of Appeals in its resolution
dated 30 December 2010 x x x. Hence, now this Petition.”69
(Emphasis omitted)

 
Considering the nature of the issues involved in the
present Petition, and the lack of any evidence showing that
Batangas City’s error resulted from anything more than
inadvertence, the Court resolves to permit the amendment
of the Petition in the interest of substantial justice.

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69  Id., at pp. 505-506.

 
 
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The Assailed Ordinance is

void for being ultra vires,
for being contrary to exist-
ing law, and for lack of
evidence showing the exis-
tence of factual basis for its
enactment.
 
The requisites for a valid ordinance are well-established.
Time and again, the Court has ruled that in order for an
ordinance to be valid, it must not only be within the
corporate powers of the concerned LGU to enact, but must
also be passed in accordance with the procedure prescribed
by law. Moreover, substantively, the ordinance (i) must not
contravene the Constitution or any statute; (ii) must not be
unfair or oppressive; (iii) must not be partial or
discriminatory; (iv) must not prohibit, but may regulate
trade; (v) must be general and consistent with public policy;
and (vi) must not be unreasonable.70
Batangas City claims that the enactment of the Assailed
Ordinance constitutes a valid exercise of its police power.
This claim is erroneous.
Police power is the power to prescribe regulations to
promote the health, morals, peace, education, good order,
safety, and general welfare of the people.71 As an inherent
attribute of sovereignty, police power primarily rests with
the State.
In furtherance of the State’s policy to foster genuine and
meaningful local autonomy, the national legislature
delegated the exercise of police power to local government
units (LGUs) as agents of the State.72 Such delegation can
be found in Sec-

_______________

70  Social Justice Society (SJS) v. Atienza, Jr., 568 Phil. 658, 699-700;
545 SCRA 92, 135 (2008).
71  Acebedo Optical Company, Inc. v. Court of Appeals, 385 Phil. 956,
968; 329 SCRA 314, 325 (2000).
72  Id.

 
 

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tion 1673 of the LGC, which embodies the general welfare

clause.74
Since LGUs exercise delegated police power as agents of
the State, it is incumbent upon them to act in conformity to
the will of their principal, the State.75 Necessarily,
therefore, ordinances enacted pursuant to the general
welfare clause may not subvert the State’s will by
contradicting national statutes. Thus, in Batangas CATV,
Inc. v. Court of Appeals,76 the Court struck down an
ordinance enacted by Batangas City which granted the
Sangguniang Panlungsod the power to fix subscriber rates
charged by CATV providers operating within the former’s
territory, as this directly violated a general law which
grants such power exclusively to the National
Telecommunications Commission. In so ruling, the Court
stressed that municipalities are precluded from regulating
conduct already covered by a statute involving the same
subject matter, hence:

_______________

73  Section 16 of the LGC provides:

SEC. 16. General Welfare.—Every local government unit shall
exercise the powers expressly granted, those necessarily implied
therefrom, as well as powers necessary, appropriate, or incidental for its
efficient and effective governance, and those which are essential to the
promotion of the general welfare. Within their respective territorial
jurisdictions, local government units shall ensure and support, among
other things, the preservation and enrichment of culture, promote health
and safety, enhance the right of the people to a balanced ecology,
encourage and support the development of appropriate and self-reliant
scientific and technological capabilities, improve public morals, enhance
economic prosperity and social justice, promote full employment among
their residents, maintain peace and order, and preserve the comfort and
convenience of their inhabitants.
74  Supra note 71 at p. 969; pp. 325-326.
75  See supra note 2 at p. 562; p. 340.
76  Id., at pp. 562-563; p. 340.

 
 

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In De la Cruz v. Paraz, we laid the general rule “that ordinances

passed by virtue of the implied power found in the general welfare
clause must be reasonable, consonant with the general powers
and purposes of the corporation, and not inconsistent with the
laws or policy of the State.”
x x x x
In this regard, it is appropriate to stress that where the
state legislature has made provision for the regulation of
conduct, it has manifested its intention that the subject
matter shall be fully covered by the statute, and that a
municipality, under its general powers, cannot regulate
the same conduct. In Keller v. State, it was held that:
“Where there is no express power in the charter of a
municipality authorizing it to adopt ordinances regulating
certain matters which are specifically covered by a general
statute, a municipal ordinance, insofar as it attempts to
regulate the subject which is completely covered by a
general statute of the legislature, may be rendered invalid.
x  x  x Where the subject is of statewide concern, and the
legislature has appropriated the field and declared the
rule, its declaration is binding throughout the State.” A
reason advanced for this view is that such ordinances are
in excess of the powers granted to the municipal
corporation.
Since E.O. No. 205, a general law, mandates that the
regulation of CATV operations shall be exercised by the
NTC, an LGU cannot enact an ordinance or approve a
resolution in violation of the said law.
It is a fundamental principle that municipal ordinances are
inferior in status and subordinate to the laws of the state. An
ordinance in conflict with a state law of general character and
statewide application is universally held to be invalid. The
principle is frequently expressed in the declaration that municipal
authorities, under a general grant of power, cannot adopt
ordinances which infringe the spirit of a state law or repugnant to

 
 
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the general policy of the state. In every power to pass ordinances

given to a municipality, there is an implied restriction that the
ordinances shall be consistent with the general law. x  x  x77
(Emphasis and underscoring supplied)

 
In this Petition, the Court is called upon to determine
whether the control and regulation of the use of water may
be made subject of a city ordinance under the regime of the
Water Code — a national statute governing the same
subject matter.
The Water Code governs the ownership, appropriation,
utilization, exploitation, development, conservation and
protection of water resources.78 Under Article 3 thereof,
water resources are placed under the control and
regulation of the government through the National Water
Resources Council, now the NWRB.79 In turn, the privilege
to appropriate and use water is one which is exclusively
granted and regulated by the State through water permits
issued by the NWRB.80 Once granted, these water permits
continue to be valid save only for reasons spelled out under
the Water Code itself.81

_______________

77  Id., at pp. 563-564; p. 342.

 78  WATER CODE, Article 2(c).
79   On July 22, 1987, the National Water Resources Council was
renamed and reorganized as the NWRB by virtue of Executive Order No.
124-A.
80  Water Code, Article 13.
81   The relevant provisions of the Water Code governing the grant,
suspension, modification, cancellation and revocation of water permits
provide:
Article 28. Water permits shall continue to be valid as long as water
is beneficially used; however, it maybe suspended on the grounds of
noncompliance with approved plans and specifications or schedules of
water distribution; use of water for a purpose other than that for which it
was granted; nonpayment of water charges; wastage; failure to keep
records of water diversion, when required; and

 
 
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Conversely, the power to modify, suspend, cancel or

revoke water permits already issued also rests with
NWRB.82
On the other hand, the avowed purpose of the Assailed
Ordinance, as stated in its whereas clauses, is the
protection of local aquifers for the benefit of the inhabitants
of Batangas City.83 Accordingly, the Assailed Ordinance
mandates all heavy industries operating along Batangas
Bay to use seawater in the operation of their respective
facilities, and install desalination plants for this purpose.
Failure to comply with this mandatory requirement would
have the effect of precluding continuous operation, and
exposing noncompliant parties to penal and administrative
sanctions.84
There is no doubt, therefore, that the Assailed
Ordinance effectively contravenes the provisions of the
Water Code as it arrogates unto Batangas City the power
to control and regulate the use of ground water which, by
virtue of the provisions

_______________

violation of any term or condition of any permit or of rules and regulations

promulgated by the [NWRB].
x x x x
Article 29. Water permits may be revoked after due notice and
hearing on grounds of nonuse; gross violation of the conditions imposed in
the permit; unauthorized sale of water; willful failure or refusal to comply
with rules and regulations or any lawful order; pollution, public nuisance
or acts detrimental to public health and safety; when the appropriator is
found to be disqualified under the law to exploit and develop natural
resources of the Philippines; when, in the case of irrigation, the land is
converted to non-agricultural purposes; and other similar grounds.
Article 30. All water permits are subject to modification or
cancellation by the [NWRB], after due notice and hearing, in favor
of a project of greater beneficial use or for multi-purpose development, and
a water permittee who suffers thereby shall be duly compensated by the
entity or person in whose favor the cancellation was made. (Emphasis
supplied)
82  WATER CODE, Article 30.
83  Rollo, p. 24.
84  Id., at pp. 25-26.

 
 
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of the Water Code, pertains solely to the NWRB. By

enacting the Assailed Ordinance, Batangas City acted in
excess of the powers granted to it as an LGU, rendering the
Assailed Ordinance ultra vires.
Being ultra vires, the Assailed Ordinance, in its entirety,
is null and void. Thus, it becomes unnecessary to still
determine if it complies with the other substantive
requirements for a valid ordinance — i.e., that the
ordinance is fair and reasonable.
In any case, it bears emphasizing that the measure of
the substantive validity of an ordinance is the underlying
factual basis for which it was enacted. Hence, without
factual basis, an ordinance will necessarily fail the
substantive test for validity.
Batangas City’s failure to prove the existence of factual
basis to justify the enactment of the Assailed Ordinance
had already been passed upon by the lower courts. The
Court quotes, with approval, the Joint Decision of the CA
Fourth Division:

To prohibit an act or to compel something to be done, there

must be a shown reason for the same. The purpose must also be
cogent to the means adopted by the law to attain it. In this case,
as seen in the “whereas clause,” the purpose of the ordinance is to
protect the environment and prevent ecological imbalance,
especially the drying up of the aquifers of Batangas City. In effect,
the drying up of aquifers is being blamed on the establishments
and industries such as petitioner-appellees here. It would have
been acceptable had there been a specific study or findings that
the local government conducted (sic) and not just its reliance on
the complaints of some constituents who merely made its
conclusion that the drying up of wells or its salination was due to
the “heavy industries” use of ground water.
In addition, if appellants were convinced that those industries
adversely affect the environment and specifi-

 
 
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cally the water resource in Batangas City, there would be no

exemptions, as provided in Section 5 of the Ordinance, as it would
negate the purpose of the law.
It thus becomes apparent that the ordinance was come up with
in an arbitrary manner, if not based purely on emotive or flawed
premises. There was no scientific standard or any acceptable
standard at all that the ordinance was based on. x x x85

 
While the Joint Decision resolves the JG Summit and
First Gas appeals, these cases, pertain to the same appeal
filed by Batangas City and the Sangguniang Panlungsod
from the Decision of the RTC nullifying the Assailed
Ordinance. As aptly put by the CA in the present case:

The factual antecedents and legal issues in the present C.A.-G.R.

CV No. 90373 are identical to those of C.A.-G.R. CV Nos. 90324
and 90365. The assignment of errors in the present appeal
are but a restatement of the errors raised in the two
consolidated appeal cases, which errors have already been
exhaustively passed upon by the Court’s Fourth Division
in its Joint Decision dated May 28, 2009, weighing pieces of
evidence that are now the very same pieces of evidence
presented for consideration in this appeal. x x x86 (Emphasis
supplied)

 
This Court, not being a trier of facts, accords the highest
degree of respect to the findings of fact of the trial court,
especially where, as here, they have been affirmed by the
CA; accordingly, these findings will not be disturbed. To be
sure, such findings are binding and conclusive upon this
Court,87 and it is not the Court’s function in a petition for
review on certiorari to examine, evaluate or weigh anew
the probative
_______________

85  Id., at pp. 51-52.

86  Id., at p. 326.
87  Bulos, Jr. v. Yasuma, 554 Phil. 591, 601; 527 SCRA 727, 737 (2007).

 
 
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value of the evidence presented before the trial court.88

While there are recognized exceptions to this rule, the
Court finds that none is present in this case.
Consequently, since it has been established that
Batangas City did not have factual basis to justify the
purpose of the Assailed Ordinance, Batangas City cannot
invoke the presumption of validity. As held in Ermita-
Malate Hotel and Motel Operators Association, Inc. v. City
Mayor of Manila,89 which Batangas City itself cites in its
Petition, the presumption of validity ascribed to an
ordinance prevails only in the absence of some
factual foundation of record sufficient to overthrow
the assailed issuance.90 In this case, the presumption of
validity ascribed to the Assailed Ordinance had been
overturned by documentary and testimonial evidence
showing that no substantial diminution in the supply of
ground water in the Tabangao-Malitam watershed had
occurred in the last three (3) decades, and that no threat of
depletion of ground water resources in said watershed
existed.91
 
Final Note
 
While the Assailed Ordinance has been struck down as
invalid, the pronouncements hereunder should not be
misconstrued by heavy industries to be carte blanche to
abuse their respective water rights at the expense of the
health and safety of the inhabitants of Batangas City, the
environment within which these inhabitants live, and the
resources upon which these inhabitants rely. The Court
recognizes fresh ground water as an invaluable natural
resource, and deems it necessary to emphasize that
Batangas City is not precluded from exercising its right to
protect its inhabitants from injuri-

_______________
 88  Id.
89  127 Phil. 306; 20 SCRA 849 (1967).
90  Id., at p. 315; p. 857.
91  Rollo, p. 73.

 
 
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ous effects which may result from the misuse of natural

water resources within its territorial jurisdiction, should
these effects later arise, provided that such exercise is done
within the framework of applicable national law,
particularly, the Water Code.
WHEREFORE, premises considered, the petition for
review on certiorari is DENIED. The Decision dated May
25, 2010 and Resolution dated December 30, 2010 of the
Court of Appeals in C.A.-G.R. CV No. 90373 are
AFFIRMED.
SO ORDERED.

Sereno (CJ., Chairperson), Leonardo-De Castro, Del

Castillo and Perlas-Bernabe, JJ., concur.

Petition denied, judgment and resolution affirmed.

Notes.—A long line of decisions has held that for an

ordinance to be valid, it must not only be within the
corporate powers of the local government unit to enact and
must be passed according to the procedure prescribed by
law, it must also conform to the substantive requirements.
(Legaspi vs. City of Cebu, 711 SCRA 771 [2013])
It is well to note that in an application for a water
permit before the National Water Resources Board
(NWRB), the presence of a protest converts the proceeding
to a water controversy, which shall then be governed by the
rules prescribed for resolving water use controversies, i.e.,
Rule IV of the implementing rules and regulations (IRR).
(First Mega Holdings Corp. vs. Guiguinto Water District,
792 SCRA 670 [2016])
 
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